1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to candle lighter apparatus and, more particularly, is concerned with a candle wick extracting and positioning device and method which facilitates the lighting of candles in confined areas and with the ignitable ends of the wicks either partially or wholly embedded in the candle wax.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Lighters commonly found in use today are often limited in their ability to light candle arrangements. Available lighters which use flammable gas, such as cigarette lighters, are unhandly and impractical for igniting the ends of wicks of relatively large candles such as those which are four or more inches in diameter and ten or more inches in height, especially after the wick has burned down several inches.
Further, where candles are placed in containers, such as a vase or hurricane lamp, the same problem exists. Ordinary friction safety matches do not have the length necessary for lighting these candles and thus carry a high risk of burning the user's fingers when attempting to do so.
Several commercially available products exist which attempt to solve the aforementioned problem but leave additional problems unresolved. Longer matches may serve to reach deeper wicks, however they tend to break after being lit and leave unsightly match debris in the candle wax which disturb the natural burn path of the candle wick. Flammable gas lighters which have straight rods may also reach the deeper wicks, however they are unhandy in that the user must often lift and turn the candle at an angle in order to present the flame to the wick.
An additional problem is present and common to most candles of relatively large diameters, such as four or more inches. As the interior wall of the candle melts, the wax tends to pool around the wick stem and when allowed to cool may bury and/or embed the ignitable end of the wick. It is then necessary to dig the wax away and extract the end of the wick in some manner to place it at an ignitable position. Non-flammable gas candle lighters of wick material may have the length and curved rod desirable to light such candle wick arrangements, however they do not have a means to extract the wax embedded ignitable ends of the candle wicks.
In view of the foregoing problems, a need has long existed for a device to melt wax embedding the ignitable ends of candle wicks and extract and reposition the ignitable wick ends to a position above the wax as well as a device being suitable for lighting candles of all candle arrangements including those with difficult-to-reach candle wicks.